Sevenoaks residents invited to attend drop-in sessions to examine Local Plan proposals

THE Local Plan, which decides what can be built and where and what should be protected up to 2035, will be open for examination by residents at drop-in centres over the next three months. The Plan includes proposals for new homes, improved town centres and new facilities. It also includes the Government’s requirement to provide new homes.

Sevenoaks District Council will be consulting on the draft Local Plan from Monday 16 July to Monday 10 September.  To ensure the Council hears everyone’s views, it has arranged six drop in sessions where residents can find out more and what’s proposed for their area.

The drop-in sessions are taking place in the following locations:

• Westerham Town Council (TN16 1RB) – Thursday 19 July, 2pm to 8pm
• Blighs Meadow in Sevenoaks (TN13 1DA) – Thursday 26 July, 11am to 3pm
• All Saints Church Hall in Hartley (DA3 8EL) – Tuesday 31 July, 2pm to 8pm
• Waitrose in Edenbridge (TN8 5LN) – Tuesday 14 August, 2pm to 8pm
• Swanley Link (BR8 7AE) – Wednesday 29 August, 2pm to 8pm
• Sevenoaks District Council (TN13 1HG) – Wednesday 5 September, 2pm to 8pm

From today (Monday 16 July), residents can also view the draft Local Plan, and use an interactive map to see what is proposed near them, by visiting www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/draftlocalplan.

Cllr Robert Piper, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, says: “The new Local Plan is really important – it gives us a once in a generation opportunity to improve retail and local infrastructure and provide new schools, medical facilities and much needed new homes for our children and grandchildren in the years to come.

“We’re keen to hear what everyone thinks – whether they support the proposals for new homes or if they have comments on the possible sites for new developments.

“I would urge residents to read the Plan and make their views known when the consultation opens from Monday 16 July.”

Local Plan background

The plan includes proposals to meet the Government requirement to provide nearly 14,000 homes between 2015 and 2035 to meet local need.

The Local Plan prioritises land that has already been built, but to meet the Government requirements, it includes some green-field sites in the Green Belt. Despite the pressure for new homes, the draft Local Plan proposes to protect more than 99% of the District’s Green Belt and the rural nature of the District.

The Council will publish a final version of the Plan later this year, taking account of the comments from the consultation. This version of the Local Plan will be submitted to the Government and considered by the Planning Inspector at a public examination in 2019 when there will be another opportunity for residents to raise further comments.

If approved by the Government, the Local Plan could be adopted and used by the Council later in 2019.